Harps International -
Live in Concert was recorded in 1992 during a concert at the small
arts centre on Bowen Island, which lies just off the coast of British
Columbia near Vancouver. Lori Pappajohn had asked Mike Absalom and Jill
Whitman to join her in forming a harp trio to present music written for
the Classical, the Celtic and the Paraguayan Harp. At that time, this was
a novel idea, for there was no other group combining these very different
evolutions of the harp and offering their diverse voices in a single
ensemble. Lori was already established in the Vancouver area as a Celtic
harpist. Jill taught pedal harp in Bellingham, USA and was a well-known
Seattle orchestral harpist. Mike had just returned from studying
Paraguayan harp in Asuncion under the sponsorship of the Canada Council.
This was to be their first 'touring' concert and happily, it was captured
live on tape. Later the group was to go on to great success, triumphantly
crossing Canada from East to West, repeatedly touring the USA and playing
in the furthest corners of South America. It is a diverting and eclectic
concert and demonstrates the energy of presentation that was to turn Harps
International into one of Canada's most popular touring ensembles of the
1990s. It offers music which ranges through a colourful spectrum of styles
and periods from neo-romanticism to jazz, folk and the songs of cafe
society and parallels the excitement and difficulties the group themselves
experienced while travelling around the world by road, rail and air in the
company of a flute, three bulky harps and a collection of outlandish
rhythm instruments.